Back to the academy
by Elwing13
Summary: Rosa, Dimitri, Lissa and Cristian fly back to St Vladimir after eight years and, after a tragedy happened, they had to stay there indefinetly.
1. NA

**Hi!**

**So... I didn´t read the Bloodlines series yet, I am waiting to be over because I can´t handle another Shadow Kiss/Blood Promise situation, but I know enough for this story to work. If, in a future, my story doesn´t work with the one of Richelle Mead, I will try to edit mine...**

**To the people who read the Bloodlines series: If there is something that you think that doesn´t add up to the canon, please do tell, I really apreciate.**

**To the people who is still reading or didn´t read de Bloodlines series: I will try to centre this story in Dimitri, Rose, Lissa and Cristian and hope you won´t be mad for the little spoilers.**

**To the people who dind´t finish the Vampire Academy series: DON´T READ THIS! Of course I want you to read this, but first read the books!**

**To the people who finish VA: I hope you enjoy this.**

**To everybody: Read HOMECOMING by Richelle Mead, is a short story telling what happened when Dimitri and Rose went to Russia to tell his family that he was alive. It´s really good!**

**I hope you like my story, please coment!**


	2. The Airport

I paced around the landing track of the small airport at court. Alone. My hands were shaking and my neck was already sweaty. I was as nervous as hell.

It was a big day, the night before I was already too nervous to sleep so I waited to the sunset and get out of bed before Dimitri, I think it was the first time in years.

I striped of my black jacket, it was autumn but it felt like summer to me. It was not only that I was a edgy, I've been running since I woke up. I was a month behind in paperwork, so Hans told me that I had to do it before leaving court, so I did it as fast as I could and run to the tracks in my guardian uniform.

I was the first there.

Where were they? What was taking them so long?

I stopped walking, sat on the floor and put my head between my legs. I concentrated on my breathing.

It had been so long since we had an important day. I remember the time when every day counted.

The days before Lissa was crowned, two whole years when every day was important, every action mattered. Or were there four years, since Lissa and I scaped the Academy? I don't know if everything started when we left or when we came back?

The days that mattered were fewer with the passing of time.

First, that stupid hunting trip where my parents cornered Dimitri. They were worried, I could see that. He was older. He had been my mentor in the Academy. We were moving too fast. He was older. My father kept saying that, but it didn't mattered to me. And Dimitri take it all like the god he was. Abe and Jeanine stop with the bragging when they saw how much we love each other, and after I confessed everything to my mother. Even Russia. And of course the thousand threats of my father make to Dimitri.

Tasha´s trial. At least Lissa spared her life. She was in Tarasov now.

Then Jill, it was really hard to see her go, and then my Dimitri. Being apart from him all those months was unbearable. At least I had Lissa. Queen Vasillisa.

But the law was changed and Jill came back to court, and Lissa got married with Cristian

And in my twentieth birthday, Dimitri asked me to marry him. He cornered me with my own words, I'd made it clear to him since always that I had no intention of getting married until there was a "2" at the beginning of my age, so at the first chance he had, he woke me with a ring, a family heirloom that my father gave him along with his blessing. I couldn't say no, not because I was twenty, but because I wanted to say yes.

We had a little wedding, with our families and closest friends. And Yeva went on and on about the fact that she had foreseeing the wedding all those years ago in Baia, when we went together, after Lissa´s coronation.

Lissa and Cristian had their children, five little Dragomirs, and along the way I had mine. My first pregnancy was a surprise, some people though I had cheated on Dimitri, but he knew better. He had been researched, for so long, the changes of coming back of being a Strigoi and after digging a little deeper he and Sonya found out that his DNA had changed, allowing us the opportunity of being compatible to conceive. He was so afraid the first time, and so was I, but everything went smooth and Ivanna was born perfectly healthy. After her, we had Nikolay, that kid was going to drive me insane, and my little baby Emma, she wasn´t even one.

The rest of the days, the ones that didn't mattered as much, were used to grow the love that we all had for each other.

But this day, this day was a big one. this day had the power to break me. This day-

"Rose", a russian accent cut out my internal monologue. I looked up to see this tall, muscular men looking down at me, my nephew Paul. He had grown up so much, and when he became of age to be a guardian, we pull some string to bring him here to court. Karolina was so grateful. "I thought it was you, aunty"

I stand up, but I couldn't say anything.

Paul saw my struggle, sometimes he looked so much like Dimitri it was scary. "Everything is going to be all right", he said. "Stop worrying, Guardian Hathaway-Belikova. It does not suit you"

I laugh at my little. I loved it when people call me by whole name. My mother was Guardian Hathaway, but I had make a name for myself and carrying Dimitri´s make a statement, it tell people who I was.

"Weren't you with your uncle?" I asked him.

"He sent me ahead to calm you down. He said you would be here already". So, he wasn't acting like Dimitri, he was acting in his behalf. "They should be here any minute now".

And as if Paul had summoned them a little voice call me from my right. "Mommy!"

I turn to see Ivanna running to me, a few steps behind her was Dimitri, with Emma strapped at his chest. Nico was in the middle of a joust with Andre Dragomir, between my husband and the royal family.

I sight as I recieved my daughter in my arms. I hugged her tightly.

Dimitri kiss me quickly on my cheek.

"You didn't think I make it", he told me with quick look in my eyes.

He was in charge of finishing with our luggage and prepare the kids for the flight. "If I didn't thought you would make it, I would had gone home instead of coming here. Don't you think?" I was on edge, and my words come a little harsh. But, like always, he saw right through me and in a single motion put an arm on my back to bring me closer and kiss me. Even with the baby strapped to his chest it was one of those kiss that melt me and the only reason I was still standing was his arm in my back.

When Dimitri release me I was gasping for air, but much more calm.

"That baby is going to be scarred for life", said Cristian as he approached us.

Behind him was Lissa. "Oh, shut up you. Let them be. Is a big day for them. All set?" She said turning to me. Dimitri was still holding me.

"Yes. But I swear, the next person that tells me that everything is going to be allright is going to get hurt."

"Even me?"

"Even you, Lis. Sorry."

"That´s treason", Dimitri whispered in my ear and I laugh.

"That´s fine. Been there. Done that."

"I remember."

"So, lets go! We are going to be late. You can have the whole night for reassure her", she told Dimitri and turn to walk to the private jet.

"You are the queen", I told her walking beside her. "No body care if you are late."

"I care", she said "And that's the advice of my head guardian? You should be talking about strategy and the amount of guards and all of the things you nag me about every time we are out of court"

It was obvious that today was out of myself. It felt like I had seventeen all over again. "You are right, as always." I told her, while we were approaching the plane.

We talk about strategy and in a way, that too, made me so much calmer. We had guards waiting to meet us in the airport, but in the plane there was only going to be two guards on duty, Paul and Eddie. Although Dimitri and I were flying too, we were off service for the next two weeks.

I was the last one who entered the plane and while the door closed behind me I took my time to watch my family.

Lissa was talking to Jill,who was holding Lissa's baby boy, Vladimir. Cristian was trying to sit down the twins, Cristopher and Cristian, they were three. Ivanna was perfectly still sitting with Frederick, the oldest of Lissa's sons and the first born of our family, he was six and my daughter was five. At the back of the plane Dimitri had made Andre and Nico surrender their swords and sit down.

He was waiting for me in the same sit where he put me the first time we flew together. Everything felt like a distorted déjà vu.

"All set,ma'am", the pilot told me and I nodded to him before heading to my husband.

Jill went to sit with Eddie, leaving the sit next to Lissa for Christian.

When I was close enough Dimitri handed me Emma and I took my sit.

He looked at me trying to reassure me with one look that everything was going to be just fine, but I was terrified anyway. I lean my head in his shoulder and he kissed me on the top of my head.

"If you like", he whispered after a second, "maybe tonight we could leave the children with Paul and go to certain cabin in the woods..."

He trail off, but I knew what he was implying. The memory of the cabin burn inside me one more time and without thinking a smile made its way to my face.

We were flying back to St. Vladimir for the first time in eight years, we were going to the place where everything started. We were going because Ivanna was going to star school.

"I would like that very much"


	3. Feeling nostalgic

**N/A**

**Hi!**

**Someone told me that my grammar sucks, which I am not surprise because english isn´t my first language, yo regularmente hablo español, and this is the first time that I write a story this long. I´m trying to do the best I can, but I don't want this story ruin because of my crappy grammar, so if someone can step up and try to help me I really appreciate it, I just want my story out there and that people would find it interesting.**

* * *

When we landed, we had a large group of guardians waiting to escort the royal family to guest housing, along with us. But they ended up carrying our luggage because all the kids were asleep and we had to carry them without waking them up.

Their cries had the power to stop Strigoi in the second, like literally there was this time when Dimitri and I went out with Ivanna when she was Emma's age and a Strigoi tried to attack us. He didn't had a chance anyway, not with Dimitri protecting his wife and daughter but Ivanna had sensed the threat and started crying. When you had all your senses heightened a high pitch cry like hers was unbearable, the dude just stood there petrified and Dimitri staked him without breaking a sweat, not like he ever sweet, but either way. We were really shaken up after that, but I was really proud of my princess.

We reach guest housing and settle in our bedroom. Dimitri and I had a room for us and Emma and Nicolay. But Ivy would had to settle in what it was going to be her room for the rest of the year.

She knew what was going to happen, we had talk to her several times and she was excited about this new adventure, especially because she was going to be a guardian like mommy and daddy.

We leave our luggage in our bedroom and went downstairs to wait for Lissa and Christian, a voice with an irish accent call us from behind me."Where is my favorite new student of the Academy?"

"Nana", Ivy screamed and she run to my mothers arms.

"What are you doing here?" I ask her, amazed. I had told her about today but I didn't thought she could make it.

"I wouldn't miss it for the world", she said hugging my daughter tightly. "How are you?"

I gave her a little smile and she nodded with understanding. "We should talk later"m that was all she said before going to steal Emma from Dimitri's strong arms.

While I watched her, holding Emma, talking with Nico and Ivy, I thought how different it was being a mother and a grandmother. She hadn't been the best mom to me but Jeanine Hathaway was the perfect grandmother to my children, and I was glad for that.

She also was a pretty good grandmother to Lissa's boys. She and Abe had adopted those children like their we're truly theirs and I was grateful to them.

I was so distracted watching my mother that I only notice that Dimitri was behind me until he hug me.

"I didn't think she will came", I told him.

"I was pretty sure of it. My mother would had came too."

"Our kids are very lucky."

"We were lucky too", he told me, guessing my line of thought. "I had my mother and my sisters. For better or for worse. You had your mother. And Lissa. And then your father."

"Yeah..." I turn my head so I could kiss him, but my actions were interrupted by my mother saying "Your Majesty" and Cristian was making a sound like he was disgusted.

"You are an adult, you know. You made a lot of babies. Why you are opposed to my PDA?"

"Because is you kissing my guardian. I had to be with him all day after that."

"Enough. Are we ready?", Lissa interrupted, as always. Certain dynamics in our family would never change.

Dimitri was the one who answered her, apparently he had thought it through. "Yes. You should go with Rose and Ivy to set her room. Men are not allowed, even parents and Christian and I will take Frederich to his and the kids..." Well, he hadn't thought about everything.

"I can stay with the kids, if you like", said my mother. "I never got the chance to see them anyway."

"That would be great Jeanine", Lissa said and she, Cristian, Dimitri and me head outside, with Ivy and Fred.

The night was nice as we walk in silence, I guessed I wasn't the only one who was feeling a little nostalgic.

"Don't be nervous", Fred told Ivy while taking her hand. "It is really fun, you'll see. We are going to have a lot of fun. I won't leave you alone."

Lissa and I were walking behind them and when we heard that little boy we look each other with a silent "aww" in our eyes.

"I know. I am not afraid, just worry."

"Well, don't be, I'll be with you, I promise."

Now the "awww" wasn't silent at all, and that caught Cristian's and Dimitri's attention.

"What happened?", asked Cristian.

"Nothing", Lissa said. "Just kids stuff." I could see in her eyes that she was already planning the wedding.

We parted from the boys when we entered the building and we took Ivanna to her room. We had sent a few boxes of her stuff the week before and I had been carrying her luggage.

She was supposed to shared her bedroom with a girl that wasn't arrived yet.

We put everything in place, her clothes, her toys, her posters, her little toy stake, the one who was "just like mommy's".

"Are you going to be all right, my little girl?"

"Yes, mommy."

"I will see you at lunch tomorrow, ok?"

"Yes, mommy."

"If you need help with something ask the teachers in the hallway and you know how to call me with your cell,right?"

"Yes, mommy."

Ivanna hug me tightly before we went. It was going to be hard, but I guessed that the purpose of the adaptation week was doing it less painful for the kids and for the parents. The first thing that they needed to do alone was get up in the morning, get dressed, go to breakfast and then to class. The parents wouldn't be allowed to meet with their kids until lunch time.

"She is a smart kid, she is going to be...", Lissa's words were cut off because I gave her a look reminding her my words at the airport.

"I know, Lis. But I still going to miss her."

My phone rang in that moment. It was a text from Dimitri: " is on me"

Something must have change in my expression because Lissa knew it right away. "Someone has a hot date tonight", she said.

I didn't say anything, but she knew.

When we reached guest housing we saw my mother and Jill playing with the babies and the twins on a blanket in the grass. Andre and Nicolay were nowhere to be seen.

Shock run through my body while I approached them, Lissa notice the same thing that me and run to them.

"Where is Andre?", she say, trying to maintain her calm.

"He is here", a voice call from the entrance of the building, and when I turn I saw my father standing there, carrying the little devils over his shoulders.

"Old man, you came too?"

"Is my granddaughter's first day of school. I miss yours, I wanted to be here for her."

I hug him after he put the kids down.

When I release him my mother was there. "I need to talk to you", she told me with her usual guardian expression.

We walk a few steps away from the other before she started to talk.

"I know how you are feeling now, and I can't promise you that it is going to get better, because is not."

"That's exactly the pep-talk that I needed."

"No. Listen to me. When I leave you here I made a choice, I told myself that I needed to keep my distance from you, that it was going to be for the best. We live a dangerous life, Rose, uncertain of when death might find us. So I thought that if I kept us apart, you wouldn't be as much hurt from my death as if you knew me well."

"Are you telling me that I should keep my distance from Ivy from now on?" She was right, if I could spare my daughter some suffering by being apart from her I would do it.

"No. I am telling you that I was wrong. I don't want you to find yourself thinking the same thing, because it didn't work. My decision only make you hate me and with time I realize that, even with your hate, you would be hurt I if died."

"So... No distance?"

"No distance. But you really need to leave her here so she can grow up"

"Yes, mom. I know"

We hug and came back with the others.

I was walking through the wood of the academy, I was afraid I would get lost and not find the cabin. If that happened I would be obliged to call Dimitri and that would cost me the surprise I plan.

I was walking in high heels and I was only wearing sexy lingerie and a duster he gave me for my last birthday. I didn't get a lot of chances to used it, but every time I could, I felt the sensation of power emanating from it, I finally learnt the appealing of the duster.

Along the years, we perfected an implicit game, we tried to make the other loses their control first. There were certain kisses or movements or tactics that we played on each other, it all started with his words in the hotel, after Victor had died, when we were on the run, "I'll do things that'll make you lose control within seconds."

So, we made it a game. But the truth was that neither of us mattered lose control in each other's arms.

I reach the cabin and knock.

He opened the door really fast and drag me inside. "I missed you."

"I missed you too." I told him while I pushed him against the wall and started to kiss him, pulling his shirt up and out of him.

It was always the same with Dimitri. He was really gentle at the beginning but as the fire in ourselves burnt through our skins with every touch , the gentleness faded giving room for the lust.

It was amazing that after all this years the passion was still there, and every time we found a moment to let it all out we didn't hold back. We weren't the kind of people who hold back.

It didn't take long until he strip me out of my duster and at that hell broke loose.

He took me to the bed and after that it was all a haze.

"Thank you. For this", I told him after we finished.

Dimitri held me tightly in his arm. He was always reluctant to let me go. "You know we can make this happen every time you want. We left the kids with someone and..."

"I didn´t mean this", I said pointing to the two of us, lying in bed. "I mean. Oh. My. God. Thank you. Always thank you for this. But I meant this." This time I move my arm trying to include the whole cabin. "The last time... The experience became tainted by what happened later, and after that I clung to the memory so much, to keep me going, that I wear it out, in a way. This feels like redemption. Now the new memory is tangled with the old, making it better. So, thank you."

He pondered my words for a while. The last time we had been here it was a turning point in our relationship, and then everything went down the drain.

After a while he turned his body so he was on top of me, and looked me straight in the eyes, with a mischievous smile. "In that case, we must keep doing new memories."

And then Dimitri kissed with a fearless love.


	4. Know the difference

"She was so calm. She is always so calm", I told Dimitri while we walk back to guest housing. "How could she be so calm? She is our daughter. I mean look at us."

We walked under the sun, talking about Ivanna, because even though we liked to be alone once in awhile, we loved our children more.

"I know", he was so handsome under the sun.

"Maybe they changed her in the hospital."

"I don't think so. She has your hair."

"And your eyes."

"She is going to be a great guardian", Dimitri was so proud of Ivanna, and she didn´t start school yet.

"The best of her age. Always calm and deadly. A russian goddess."

"A russian goddess", Dimitri ecoed me. "The genetic combination is remarkable."

"I just hope she find a suitable partner in crime."

Dimitri looked at me like I had personally offended him. "Don´t you think is a little early to start thinking about our daughter's love life?"

He was such a cliche father sometimes.

"Is never too early to start thinking about our daughter's love life. But I wasn't talking about that, comrade. I just want her to find a best friend. Someone to be for her what Lissa is to me."

"She will, Roza. She will be happy here." Like always he answered the true meaning behind my words. "Weren't you happy here?"

"I want so much for her. I´m afraid that if I am not here, Ivanna wouldn't have it."

"You didn´t answer me."

I thought about Lissa and when we became friends. I thought about Mason and Eddie and Meredith, about the parties and the fun. I thought about all the good and all the bad. And, at last, I thought about the last year I spend in St. Vladimirs.

I looked down, at our hand tangled. "Yes, I was."

"Then, she will be happy too." Dimitri opened the door of guest housing for me to enter. "But I believe that this partner in crime that you want for her has to be more like you and less like Lissa."

"You´re probably is so calm, sometimes that scares me."

"Why?"

I didn´t answer right away because I didn´t want to upset him. I had thought a few times about Ivanna and I had always expected that she would be like me, never holding back, but, what if?

"What would happen if some day she snap? What if this is just the calm before the storm? I am afraid of that storm."

Dimitri didn´t answer until we were on our bedroom. "You mean like me? With my father?"

I nodded.

"I am afraid of that too."

He lead me to bed, without another word. We laid next to each other until we fell asleep.

I woke up a few hours later and Dimitri wasn´t next to me.

"Dimitri?", I called him.

"Here, Roza", he said from the bathroom door. "Go back to sleep."

I turn to look at him, he was dressed with workout clothes.

"Where are you going?"

"To the gym. I promise Christian I would help him with his technique."

"You are cheating me with Christian? The gym is our place."

He laid next to me in bed. "If you like, after lunch, we can go there to have some redemption... For all times sake?"

"Ok. But maybe we should work out too."

"Very well, Roza. We'll meet you, Lissa and the kids for lunch."

He kissed me and the left.

* * *

"How was your date?", Lissa was asking me while we walk to the elementary campus.

I smiled at the memory. "Really nice."

"I can see that," she said cryptically.

"What do you mean?"

Lissa looked at me from behind her sunglasses. "You have a hickey."

"What?" I freaked out. "Give me that." I told her and grabbed her glasses to use as a mirror.

And there, in my neck, my husband has made me a hickey. "He is such a child sometimes. I am a mother in my daughter's school, I can´t have a hickey." I pushed my hair forward to hide it.

"Well, you do. Now, can I have my glasses back?"

Lissa was trying to laid low, she didn´t want the people to recognize her, because she said they acted strange around her.

"I still don't know from who exactly you are hiding."

"From everyone. You weren´t here last year, people didn´t know how to act around me. They just embarrassed themselves. I am trying to save the dignity of some people."

"They are still going to know who you are." I told her pointing to the crowd of people in front of us, we were arriving to the elementary building.

"Maybe not. I don't loose anything by trying, right?"

"What. Ever."

We stood a little far from the rest of the parents. And put down our stuff to wait. Lissa had brought a basket for a picnic and I was carrying my gym bag.

"Hola, hermosa." I heard from my left side and when I turned I find a men looking at me.

He was a damphir, around his thirties, not too tall, with black hair and black eyes. He had latin features.

"Excuse me? Are you talking to me?"

"Yes, of course." He had a very distinct latin accent. "I just can't believe that someone so young and beautiful as you could be a mother."

"Well, I am sorry to disappoint you but I am. I´m waiting for my daughter."

"A daughter, how convenient. I have a son, we should schedule a playdate." He said with a wink.

Lissa giggled behind me. I was having a blast.

Being a mother of three sometimes made me feel not too pretty. And Dimitri was a heartbreaker at court. It was nice to have the balance tilted in my favor.

"I don't believe we had been introduced."

"The name is Esteban." He reached his hand towards me.

I put my hand in his. "Rose."

Instead of shaking my hand, he pulled it to his mouth to kiss it. And a moment later I shivered. Not because the contact of his lips in my fingers but because in that exact moment an strong arm wrapped itself around my waist in a very protective way.

I didn't have to look at Dimitri to know that he was looking at Esteban with a menacing look.

"Oh, Esteban," I told him when he look up from my hand, "let me introduce to you to my husband. Dimitri."

And then Esteban really looked at me, and then he looked at Dimitri and Lissa and Christian behind us.

Anyone were able to see the exact moment when everything made sense to him. "You are Rose Hathaway."

"Yes. I was the last time I checked."

"Redemption," whispered Dimitri in my ear.

Esteban didn't have the chance to say anything else because the children start to came out of the building and Ivy and Freddy find us immediately.

We sit down under some trees with the picnic that Lissa had put together.

Dimitri was laying back against a tree and I was sitting between his legs, leaning against his chest, just thinking about how different St. Vladimir seemed now that we were back, being different people.

"Do you think your parents are going to give us back the rest of our children?", Christian asked me.

"I don't think so. Maybe you could enjoy the time alone with your wife and go to the chapel´s attic to remember when life was simpler."

"I don't believe life was simpler on those times. And I hear of your rendezvous last night. How did that go?"

"How...?" I asked, but then the pieces come together and I elbowed Dimitri in the stomach.

"He help me carry some stuff there."

"Is that why you went to train with him this morning?"

"Yes."

"Well, now I really need to punch something."

I didn't really know why the fact that Christian knew about the cabin affect me so much, but it did. It was our place, mine and Dimitri´s, an escape from reality, a place that wasn't part of this crazy world.

I stand and went to look for my daughter. "Ivy, lets go. You don't want to be late."

Dimitri grabbed my bag and followed me. After a few steps I turned to looked at Lissa and Christian.

"After you clean all this up, you can go play." I told them and then left.


	5. One

**N/A: I hope you are enjoying my story. Please review it, I would listen to everything, good or bad. **

"Are you her... father?", the Moroi woman who was receiving the children asked Dimitri, while looking at a chart she had in her hand. He was carrying Ivy and apparently my presence in there threw this woman off.

I was surprise of how many people didn't recognised us here. Back at court everyone knew us, we were a power couple that everyone knew at sight. Here we had to introduce ourselves.

"Yes, she is Ivanna Belikova. My name is Dimitri and this is my wife Rose."

The woman looked up startled. "You are the Belikovs?"

"Yes." I said wary.

"Oh, dear. I am so sorry, I should had known. Not everyday a miracle child starts school."

And... here we go.

The guardian, the strigoi and the miracle child.

If people didn´t know us it was because they never seen us, but they had heard about us for sure. We were legends. Once I´ve been worried that I could never leave my mother´s shadow, but that wasn´t a problem any more.

"We are very lucky to have her with us." The woman was nervous, after all we were celebrities. "With her ancestry I am sure she will be a great guardian some day."

"We hope so."

I kissed Ivy and Dimitri and I started to walk away when the woman stopped us. "I don't know if somebody told you, but if you like one of these days, before you leave St. Vladimir´s, you can go to Ivanna´s class and do a show and tell. We offer this to all of the parents but some of them are reluctant to participate."

She waited for our response while Dimitri and I looked at each other. "We'll do it." He answer for both of us, after all not everyday a miracle child starts school. The woman looked pleased and told us to let her know what day we wanted to go. After that we left her with a Moroi couple that was dropping their child as well.

We walk toward the gym holding hands and we stopped a few times to kiss.

"You know we are being follow, right?" I said when we were not too far from the gym.

"Of course. They are novices. Four, maybe five. What do you think they want?" Sometimes, when we were in very specific situations, Dimitri assumed his teacher demeanor.

"They want to watch my ass." And I mock him for that, even though I really liked it, it was unnecessary for him to be that way around me. "It is a great ass, you know? Esteban was really fond of it."

He grinned at me. "I know. But they must know it is taken. Your ass is mine, Roza."

"No, it is not."

"What´s mine is yours and what is yours is mine, you said it in your vows." He stopped again to kiss me. "Now, what do you think they really want?"

"They are novices, they won't attack us because we are grown ups, apparently, and they won't provoke us to attack them because of the same reason. So they are waiting, maybe they want to meet us and they are building the courage, or watch us practice or something. I would want to watch us fight."

"And what do you think we should do about it?"

"Well, you know, you were a great teacher."

"I had the best of the students. That helped too."  
"Maybe we can try to see if you are not too rusty and give this kids a display of our abilities."

"What are you suggesting, Roza?"

I started walking again before I answered. "We can lead them to the gym and teach them something."

"Are you sure? They could be like you."

"If they are I think I can handle them, and if I can't I have you by my side to..." I stopped talking and an idea pop in my mind. "Don't fall in love with anyone."

"My heart is yours, Roza. I told you, what´s mine is yours."

"Fair enough."

We entered the gym and it was pitch dark and cold. I used to feel like the gym was my refuge in the academy, every time something relevant in my life happened I went there. But when I stepped there again I realized that it wasn't that place that was my refuge, but the person I always knew I could find there, Dimitri.

With a smile on my face I headed to the locker room to change. I notice Dimitri was following me.

"What are you doing?"

He looked confused. "I thought I might help you get dressed. Or get naked?"

"No. You are sitting this one out."

"You are benching me? Why?" He looked more confused than before.

I pulled some of my hair back to give him full view of my neck. "You gave me a hickey. You know I hate it and you why."

With Lissa I could pretend that I didn't like hickeys because I saw myself as a grown woman, with Dimitri it wasn't necessary. The bruise on my neck evoked memories that we were trying to leave behind us.

Suddenly he was sad, broken even. "Oh, Roza. I am so, so sorry." Dimitri pulled me closer to him and buried his face in my hair. "It wasn't my intention. I wasn't thinking. I am so sorry. Please forgive me."

His pain echoed what I felt, and even if I felt bad about this, I couldn't see him like that. "It´s okay, you can go with a warning this time."

Dimitri smile at me and then he kissed me to seal the deal. I knew where this kiss was going to get us so I push away quickly.

"As much as I want you there with me," I pointed to the locker room, "those kids out there are going either go away or come inside if we don't hurry up."

"Are you sure you want to do this?"

"Yes. I am sure." I told him walking backwards toward the locker room. Dimitri nodded and I went inside to change.

I changed quickly to a workout tank top and a long short which once belonged to Dimitri. I braided my hair and hid the hickey with the braid, no one was going to notice once I was moving. I hoped.

I looked myself one last time in the mirror. "Look how far the girl with the jeans and the T-shirt has come." I whispered to myself.

I walked out to see Dimitri arranging some mats on the gym floor and I take the hint that it had to be me the one to bring the kids in.

"What are you waiting?" I told peeking my head outside the gym door.

The six stalkers were still there. Two girls sitting in the grass, a boy pacing near by them, and three more standing close to the wall of the gym. Neither of them looked at me, but they listened. "We thought that while you were stalking us, you may at least watch us train, if you want."

I walked inside and a few seconds later the novices walk in.

They stood in a line and waited for me or Dimitri to say something. But I knew he would let me this to me and that was going to play the silent partner role.

"Okay. You know who we are, I presume."

Silence.

This was going to be hard if they didn't cooperate. At least I always had a comeback ready.

"So... first lesson. Don't hesitate. Ever. You may think that in this situation that does not apply, what is to fight strigoi compared to answer a question in class, right? But you have to make that lesson a way of life. You are in school to learn how to fight, you learn ways to respond to danger, trust your instincts. If you learn them well enough they will make a difference out there. Don't hesitate." I looked at Dimitri, he wasn't smiling but I could see the delight in his eyes, we were thinking the same thing.

I just give my first Zen lesson.

Is this how he always felt when he did that? A mixture of ´what crap did I just said?´ and ´I am full of wisdom´.

"I am going to ask again: Do you know who we are?"

"Yes." One of the girls said. "You are the Belikovs. Dimitri and Rose. Guardians of Lord Christian Ozera and Queen Vasilissa, respectively. You are married and still on duty... you have three children." The last part she said it in pure amazement.

"And you are... legends," said one of the boys.

"You are right. Now, who are you?"

They introduced themselves. They were seniors, the girl who spoke first was called Pamela and the boy, Thomas, and the rest were Indira, Sean, Nate and Bastian.

"We are going to be here for the next few days, if you want we can give you some pointers, but for today you could only watch us fight each other, all right?"

They nodded, but before I could get on position Dimitri decided to say something. "Like you can see, we have very different bodies. One of the thing you should know when you walk into battle is yourself. If you don't know your strengths and your weaknesses you are going to make mistakes that could cost you your life."

He looked at me and I took the hint. "I am not big, and not as strong as Dimitri, but I am fast, so I rely on that, I use it to my advantage. He is going to try to use his strength to subdue me, but I am going to use my speed to elude his intent and close the distance between us, giving me the advantage to attacked him." I got in position in front of Dimitri, this was going to be good. "Now, pay attention."

Our fight began and everything else disappear. Suddenly, there was no one else in the entire world.

It was always like this, we lost ourselves like when we were having sex. We didn't hold back, we didn't let the other to hold back. When I attacked, he defended and viceversa. We were in sync, we mirror each other, like Sony had said once. We knew our opponent as much as we knew ourselves.

It was another way of showing our devotion for each other, it was strange, but we weren´t a normal couple anyway.

And in that moment we were equals.

No.

We were one.


	6. Go Viral

**N/A: This chapter was edited by My-Inner-Writer-Comes-Out. Thank you so much! Go and read her storys!**

"Where have you been?" Lissa yelled at us when we walk through the door to the little room they had given her to use as a living room.

"Making another baby probably. I won´t know until a few weeks." I couldn´t help it.

"Really you two? In the gym of all places?" Christian asked from behind her. He was sitting near the table reading a newspaper. "Are you planning to create a whole school of little Belikovs and little Hathaways?

"Please, stop," Dimitri asked me in a low voice. He was always uncomfortable when Christian and I engaged in these kinds of conversations.

"You have to see this," Lissa said ignoring her husband's commentary. "You are not going to believe it, it´s all over the academy´s network. It might be on YouTube already."

"What are you talking about?" I asked.

"Jill, show them."

It was in that moment, that I took the time acknowledge the presence of Jill, Paul and Eddie near Christian, looking at something in Jill´s laptop. Dimitri moved toward them and I followed, I didn't know what was happening but I had a weird feeling.

They were watching a video and when Jill pressed play I couldn't believe my eyes.

It was us, Dimitri and me, an hour ago in the gym, fighting. One of the novices must have recorded us with their cell phone or something.

It was one of the most beautiful thing I had ever seen.

I knew how I felt every time I faced Dimitri, but I never thought that it was clear for everyone else.

"Is this how we always look like when we fight?"

Paul was the one who answered me. "No. It is more impressive in person."

It looked like a choreography, we moved around each other like we were capable of foresee the other person´s moves.

He attacked, I dodged, I closed the distance, he tried to catch me, I elude him, I draw circles around him, he made me trip, I roll and stand up again. It was a dance. It was amazing.

It was the way we always were around each other, the way we were in life. Our entire relationship was embodied in our movements.

I looked up at Dimitri; he was as fascinated as I was.

"And wait until you hear the comments." Eddie said."`Are they the Belikovs? Are they in campus? Why did no one tell me this was going on?´`They are fantastic, amazing, unearthly.´`Is this a real class? I would kill to attend?´`When did this happen? Is it only held for seniors?´`They are legends, I must meet them.´`I want to be like them when I grow up´`She is more beautiful than I thought´`He is hot. I would have all of his babies.´`The power couple of our generation.´And the list just goes on and on."

Lissa was so excited. "It got three hundred views in the first hour. I watched it like fifteen times already."

"I never... this..."

"Rose, you are crying."

I touched my face and realized that Lissa was right.

"It's just... so amazing."

Dimitri hugged me and whispered in my ear. "You are amazing."

"I am amazing?" I told him, a little louder than the tone he used. "You are a-."

"God!" All my friends said at once, interrupting me.

I glanced at them. I may have been a little insistent with that along the years, but some part of me did it to keep the memory of Mason alive, I wasn't sure if any of them knew that.

Before I had the chance to reply my father burst in the room followed by a very quiet group if really young children.

"Oh, my darling daughter and her boy toy, just the people I was looking for."

"Boy toy?" I replied to him. "Isn't that from, like, three years ago?"

Since I get married I had never heard my father called Dimitri by his name, ever again. Abe always had a nickname for him.

Boy toy, sex toy, Lenin, Smirnoff, sperm doner, cowboy wannabe, duster freak, Rasputin, cradle robber, old dude and my favourite, White Fang. I didn't get it until Lissa told me about the book White Fang which told the story of a Siberian husky. I didn't read it though.

Abe used one until it wears off and then passed to the next, and Dimitri took it like a gentleman.

He had to take a lot of crap from my parents, since that hunting trip, the one with Dimitri returning exhausted, he slept for twelve hours straight and my parents didn't talk to each other for weeks.

Even after all this years no one wants to tell me what really happened.

I was ashamed of them, because Olena and Dimitri's sisters always welcomed me. Although, I have to admit that my mother cooled down after Ivanna was born.

"It's planning a comeback, like high waisted skirts. But that wasn't the reason that I'm here."

"Dinner then?"

"Well, yes. But no." He wasn't making any sense, maybe the boys finally drive him crazy, and that's the reason why they were calm, they were celebrating.

"I was with Alberta when the video went viral. She said that you can have the gym for as many classes you want, but maybe you should stick to the more advanced students, because the premises aren't that big."

"What are you talking about?"

"You don't know about the video?"

"Yes, but the other part."

"Oh, I forgot about that." Lissa jumped in. "It is posted in the high school blog that you are imparting an open class tomorrow, after lunch, in the gym. They have a banner and all."

I was shocked. An open class? With all the people that commented the video? I was having a stage fright.

Dimitri held me tighter and I rested my head in his chest. "You did invite them to came back." He said matter-of-factly.

"And Alberta is okay with this?"

"She is really excited. It hasn't been a response like this from the novices since a long time. Can I tell her you'll do it?"

"Are you my agent now?"

"I've always been you agent."

Before I could tell him my decision my mother walked in with the babies and I run to take Emma. I had missed my baby so much.

I looked back at my husband, he was the one who had to decide, I wanted to do the class but not without him.

"We'll do it." He said and Lissa made a little shout out of her excitement.

"I don't know why you are so excited that I'd be influencing an entire generation."

"When you say it like that, I get a little scared. At what point did you become a role model?"

"I don't know. But I had a feeling that it was around the time we started to accept other people into our little family."

"Oh, you mean when you fell in love with your mentor and went on a strigoi killing spree to Russia?"

"No. I mean when you air our darkest secrets out to a creepy stranger in the church´s attic."

"We are right here!" Christian exclaimed.

"That never stopped us before, darling; we are not changing our ways now." Lissa said to him.

"So" Paul interrupted. "Do you think anyone would mind if I attended this class of yours?"

"You are our nephew, who lives with us." His uncle said. "We can teach you whatever you want, whenever you want."

"Yeah... well... I wasn´t thinking about that." Paul seemed a little embarrassed. "They said they wanted to be like you, you know? And I actually looked like you, so maybe... I could... You know..."

He winked to make his point valid.

"You could mentor someone." Christian intervened. "That seemed to work very well for you uncle."

I rolled my eyes, and walk out the door to feed Emma, who was restless in my arms. I would come back for dinner, but for now I needed to be alone and think about what I just get myself into.

That night after dinner we were lying in bed with the kids, Emma was sleeping on Dimitri's chest, he was singing a russian lullaby to her and I was telling Nico a bedtime story about a prince who was trap and a princess who went to save him.

"But the prince didn't knew he was trapped, so he fought the princess and at the end-"

"You know what I did today with grandpa?" Nicolay interrupted; this story always was more appealing to Ivanna than to him.

"What did you do?

"We watch a movie and you were there?"

"Me? What movie was it?"

"Grandpa said it was the movie of when you became a guardian. You were fighting and then you cut a bridge and save some guy."

My trials, I wasn't aware that there was a video about them.

"And what did you think?"

"You are amazing, ma. You kick all of the bad guys, and you won. You were like..." Nico stood on the bed and started to kicking and punching the air. When he was tired enough he sat by my side.

"Grandpa said you were the best, that you are the best guardian ever! I want to be like you."

"What about me?" My husband complained (he had been listening to our conversation). "You told me you wanted to be like me yesterday."

"Yeah, but you didn't cut down a bridge."

"Wasn´t that your trials?" He asked me and I nodded. "I would like to see that video."

"Me to. I´ll make the necessary arrangements." I turned back to my son. "What else did grandpa said? Did he say anything about dad?"

"Yes. He said he wasn't there but that you bring him back. He also said that he is the only one capable of protecting you when you can´t protect yourself."

"He really said that?"

Nico nodded and when he was going to said something a yawn cut his words.

"It´s time to sleep, my prince." I took him to his room and when I get back Dimitri had already put down Emma in her cradle.

"Are you ready for tomorrow?" He asked me.

I joined him in the bed before answering. "I don't know, but if you will stand with me I think I am going to be fine."

"I will always stand with you, Roza."


	7. отец (father)

**Edited by My-Inner-Writer-Comes-Out thank you!**

I was leaning on the gym's outer wall while Dimitri was standing in front of me. It was a full moon and he looked really handsome. The truth was he was aging gracefully.

"What are you thinking?" I asked. He'd been silent, lost in his thoughts, looking at the trees.

Dimitri turned to look at me and smiled. He slowly approached me and put his arms on my waist.

"I like this."

"What exactly, may I ask?"

"You. Me. Relaxed. We should take vacations more often, take the kids to the beach, maybe?"

"I would like that. Nicolay is going to be ecstatic. He'll be jumping around like a mad man and then when he knocks something and it breaks I will have to clean it up."

"He is full of life." Dimitri said trying to create an excuse for our son's behaviour.

"I know he is, that's why I love him. He reminds me of, me. Just sometimes he could tone it down a bit"

"Stop worrying about our children. We raised them well; they are very resourceful and have all the right connections."

"Of course I am going to worry. They are my children."

"Well, you shouldn't, because we should be enjoying their only have them for five years before we have to give them to the system."

I looked at him startle. "That sounds like something I would say."

"You're right. I spend too much time with you. I´m gonna go now."

"What..?" I said startled.

He started to walk away and when I follow him, he suddenly turned to face me and kissed me on the spot.

We broke apart when we heard the gym´s door open up and we saw Paul coming out of there. He had been reckoning.

"So?" Dimitri asked him.

"There's about sixty. Mostly damphirs, but a few moroi too. And a bunch of cute girls dressed as if they are going to work at a strip club, if I may add."

Dimitri kissed me on the top of my head and headed to the gym. "Okay. Let´s do this." He said before he went in.

When Paul was going to follow him, I stopped him. "Paul, wait. I wanted to talk to you about something." His comment had been bothering me since the day before and I needed to set him right before he did something stupid.

"What is it, aunty?"

"How many women are in your family?"

Paul took a few seconds before answering. "Nine."

I rejoice in the fact that he counted me, but just for a moment. "Now think about this. You wouldn't want that someone toyed with the feelings of any of us; like that dude did with your aunt Sonya. Or that someone makes any of us feel like I was feeling the first time you met me. Or that some guy played with Zoya´s or Ivanna´s heart, right? You wouldn't like that, would you?"

"No."

"I know you are young, Paul, and that you want to have fun. But there is nothing funny in playing with someone else´s feelings. When a heart breaks the person starts to act irrationally and you don't know what could happen, only that someone is going to get hurt, in ways that you never imagined. Promise me that you are going to act like an adult."

"I promise," he answered, a little ashamed.

"That was all. I trust you. Let´s go."

When we entered the gym, Dimitri had already begun with the warm up. After that I showed them a few dodging techniques and my husband made them fight, all of them with someone bigger or faster while I gave them pointers. One lucky bastard had the chance to fight Dimitri and lose, obviously, but I guess he became the new class favorite.

I finished the class with a stretching exercise and before long we were left alone in the gym, cleaning everything.

Not completely alone, my parents had dropped Nicolay and Emma with the excuse of having some quality time with Ivanna, but Paul had gone AWOL at some point during the class.

We were finishing up, while Nico was running around us, when a thunder resonated in the walls of the gym, making my son run scared to Dimitri´s arms.

Emma woke up with the sound and I went to pick her up from her stroller. When I turned back to Dimitri I saw him talking quietly to Nicolay. He was speaking in Russian, saying something about being brave even when you are scared.

My children were fluent in Russian, the benefit of starting to learn really young in life. I had to struggle.

It started the day of my wedding. I wanted to do something nice for Dimitri, so I asked Olena´s help and when it was my turn to say my vows I said them entirely in Russian. Dimitri was, first shocked and then pleased.

After that he started to teach me the language. Although, I already knew the curse words, Viktoria had taught me, against her brother's wishes.

Dimitri looked up at me with a question in his eyes, pulling me away from my memories, but not entirely, because when I speak I did in in his mother tongue, "Вы великий отец."*

He came where I was standing, still with our son in his arms.

Dimitri rested a gentle hand in my cheek before speak to me. "Before I met you, even the idea of being in love was a dream I couldn't afford. But when you came into my life and you allow me to love you, I thought life couldn't get any better. I should have known best. You are full of surprises and every time I turn you have something new for me. If I am a great father it is because you gave me the opportunity to be one. Thank you, Roza, for everything."

I kissed him to hide the fact that, one more time, he had made me lose my words.

"You have a way with words, comrade... I am helplessly in love with you."

"I love you too, Roza."

* * *

*"You are a great father."

* * *

**N/A: So, so sorry for the delay! a lot pilled up, finals, lack of internet, procrastinating reading the Bloodlines series, and more. I know is short, I hope you like it, more to come tomorrow.**

**Before I go a few words about Sydney Sage: I need closure! I feel that with every book there is some new problem that remains open, there is so much a girl can take, so please! I need closure! **

**and of course: Go Sydrian! Go Sydrian! *victory dance* Go Sydrian! Go Sydrian! *victory dance***


	8. First in my heart

**Edited by My-Inner-Writer-Comes-Out. She is an angel, go and read her stories!**

"Can we see your stake?" asked a very impressionable kid in the front of the class.

Dimitri took his stake out for all of Ivanna´s classmates to see it. We'd been bombarded with questions since their teacher introduced us, most of them about killing strigoi. I guess one never really gets tired of that.

Ten more hands rose, but the time was up. "Kids, that´s enough," the teacher said. "Ivanna´s parents have to leave now and you have to go do your homework and prepare for dinner."

We said our goodbyes and the teacher thanked us for taking the time to speak with the kids. I really had enjoyed it, I kind of was getting used to influencing younger generations.

Dimitri and I walked in silence toward guest housing, we already had the class with the novices before lunch so we could pack our bags before dinner. It was our last day in St. Vladimir, the week had come and gone so fast and I was getting an uneasy feeling in my guts because I was leaving Ivanna behind. At least we were going to have a last dinner all together, with Ivanna and Frederich.

Leaving Ivanna was going to be one of the hardest things for me to do. She was my baby girl, _my _miracle baby. Ivanna was the result of the love that flowed between me and Dimitri, it was the living proof of the promises we had made to each other. And she was my daughter, how could I leave her?

I was so caught up in my thoughts that I didn't see Alberta coming toward us. "Belikov, Rose," she greeted us.

"Alberta. How are you doing? We haven't seen you around much," I told her. I actually was glad that we hadn't seen her a lot, she always looked at us like she had always known about Dimitri and I, and it was unnerving.

"I have been fine thank you. If you forget all the work I've had. Actually, I was hoping I could talk to you Belikov, if that is alright with you." She said turning to me.

I nodded what else would I tell her. "I should go find my mother anyway. She texted, she´s having trouble with Emma and apparently it is making Vlad anxious too. My baby is a screamer."

"Yeah, she is." One look at Dimitri, told me that he wasn't thinking about Emma and I blushed.

I winked at him and hoped Alberta hadn't notice the true meaning behind our exchange. "See you later Alberta, always a pleasure."

I left them to talk about the past, hopefully, and headed to look for my baby.

I found my mother fighting to put the kids to rest, and I quickly took Emma from her and made my way to my room.

After a while, I was able to calm her down, she was just hungry. She was always hungry, like me. At least one of my girls turned out to be like me.

It´s not like I wanted Ivanna to be reckless, but I didn't want anyone to walk over her; she should be able to speak her mind, to be respected, to do the unexpected for the sake of good, like I did. There will come a time when she is going to be put to the test and I don't want for her to fail.

The door of the bedroom opened and Dimitri walked in with a serious face. "Is everything okay?" I asked, a little afraid.

He took Emma from my arms and put her down in her cradle. "We should talk."

"What happened? What did Alberta tell you?"

"She offered me her job," he said astounded.

"What?" I couldn't process what he was saying.

"Alberta wants to leave St. Vladimir's Academy and is looking for a replacement. She offered me to be the Captain of the Academy´s Guardians."

It took me a while to really comprehend what he was telling me, and when his words sink in I asked the most dreaded question.

"What did you tell her?"

"I told her that I needed to talk to you first."

His answer made my blood boil. I was getting angry at him, because even if he didn't really say yes to Alberta´s proposition, his response wasn't enough. He should have known better.

"What?!" I yelled. "Why? You know what I would say. I can't leave Lissa. I can't leave court."

"Would you let me talk before you make a decision about this?" He was serene, like every time I lost my composure.

"No, the answer is no." I had to be faithful to my style. "I can't deal with this right now." He wanted to say something else, but I didn't stay to listen to him. I immediately turned and leave our suit, but I couldn't go further than the hallway.

I stood there, thinking about what Dimitri just told me. How could he think that I had a different answer than _no_? I couldn't leave Lissa, I was her guardian. I couldn't leave court, it was my home now. Yes, it had been a good week, but it was only a vacation, nothing permanent.

If Dimitri didn't know all of this, I needed to tell him, so I walked back into the room.

I didn't let him speak; I just jump right to the argument. "What were you thinking, Dimitri? Don't you know me? Don't you know what my answer to that would be? You should've said no, you shouldn't have thought twice before you answered. I can't leave court, I like my job, I like being in the front line of danger, I thought you understood that." As I was talking my voice became louder, until I was shouting at him. "And most of all, I love being Lissa's guardian, is what I always dream. And you can´t ask me to leave my dream behind. You can accept that job if that is what you want, but I won't follow you here!"

With my words, Dimitri dropped his stoic demeanour and I could see the anger all over his brown eyes.

"You always do this. When you can't take an argument you storm out and leave me with words unsaid. You know how frustrating that is? And even more frustrating is the fact that you bring Lissa to this discussion. We are the ones who have to make this decision, you and me. Like husband and wife. You can't put her in the middle of this, in the middle of us." He was raising his voice too. "And I like my job too; you should know that by now. I like the adrenaline of being in the middle of a fight, not a desk job like Alberta´s. I can't leave Christian either. I just thought that we could make this decision together, that you would like to have a say in this. That you would be mature enough to realize that this wasn't about you leaving Lissa and more about you staying here with the daughter you are so reluctant to leave."

His loud words woke Emma up. And while she cried we stood there staring at each other, waiting for the other person to say anything, to do anything.

I was the first one to move towards my daughter and while I had my back turned to him, he dared to speak. "I'll see you at dinner. I don't want to do this now."

He left the room.

I spent the rest of my time trying to calm down Emma and thinking about my fight with Dimitri. I could have just listened to him, but something came over me that made me act the way I did, that made me act like I used to act back in high school.

Dinner came and went uneventful and gloomy.

I mean, I eat, I laughed, I talk to my friends, but the others could see that something was up between Dimitri and me. No one said anything, Lissa tried to talk to me, but I ignored her.

I wasn't in the mood to talk to anyone that wasn't my husband. But I knew he needed time to calm down, while I was dying to have him next to me, to touch me in any way, to hold my hand. I had become very dependent of him along the years and I was not ashamed of that at all.

After we said goodbye to Ivanna and Frederich everyone went to their rooms, we had an early night. My mother insisted on taking Emma for the night. She said it was to spend one last night with her granddaughter, but I had the feeling it was so I could sort out things with Dimitri.

Despite my mother's efforts, Dimitri and I went to sleep without speaking.

I spend the worst night ever. I couldn't sleep at all, knowing he was so close but so far away at the same time. I wanted to reach for him or for him to reach for me. I wanted to be forgiven.

An hour before we had to get up I gave up all attempts to get some decent sleep. I rolled towards Dimitri; at least I could drown in his hotness while he was sleep.

But I couldn't, he had his back turn to me. I could only see the back of his neck because he was shirtless. I had full view of his marks.

Dimitri had his promise mark, the zvezda that I insisted he should have for that battle on campus back in my senior year, even if he walked out of there like a strigoi. He also had thirteen molnija.

He had the first six when I met him, one for each year out of school, I used to tease him. If the circumstances of our first meeting would had been different, and Dimitri wouldn't have felt obligated to be my mentor, if I had met him when he first came to St. Vlads, I am sure I would had fallen in love with him anyway, being a bad-ass was one of the things that first attracted me to him.

He had a mark for Natalie. For anyone else it could be lost between the other, but not for me, I knew exactly which mark was.

He had another for that strigoi he killed in the park with Ivanna and two for an ambush on Christian on a night he was coming back to court from college. The last three were for random attacks.

They were a part of him, as mine were a part of me. We were fighters, fighting was what we loved to do. I should have known that he wouldn't take an office job.

If I had taken a minute to let him explain himself, we wouldn't be in this situation; I would be looking straight into his eyes, into his beautiful, brown eyes, not to the back of his neck.

I reach out my hand to touch his marks, I couldn't resist the temptation, and Dimitri stiffened under my hand.

He was awake.

Of course, he was awake; he always woke up before me.

I decided to take a chance and said what I needed to say. "I'm sorry for my outburst. I should have listened to you, but for a second, some part of me, really did wanted for you to take Alberta´s job. I wanted to stay with Ivanna and I became angry with myself because that would never be good for either her or me, and all I did was unload all that anger on you. You know you are first in my heart. You are always first in my heart; even if sometimes it takes a while for me to remember that, I´m sorry."

Dimitri didn't say anything. I waited a few minutes, but it was clear he wasn't ready to talk, yet. I had said my apologies, it was his turn to talk now, and he could take all the time he needed to forgave me.

I got up of the bed and went to the bathroom, I needed to shower before the flight, the long, silent, flight home.

I was so self-involved in my own thoughts that I didn't hear Dimitri enter the bathroom or hear him when he stepped into the shower. I only noticed him once he was behind me, wrapping his arms around my body, pressing himself to me.

"You were right, you shouldn't have acted out like that," he whispered in my ear, and I shivered when I felt his breath in my neck, "but I shouldn't have answered you like that, either. I´m sorry, I know I am first in your heart, but sometimes it takes me a while to remember that."

He started to kiss my neck and I let him take control of the situation.

Well, not so much let him, more like melted under his touch, because I had missed him so much, all my body was longing for him and, once again, I was powerless against him.

I turned and it took all my will power to say the words that _I_ dreaded the most, because he was making wonders with his mouth against my skin. "We can´t, we have to leave soon."

Dimitri pulled away to look at me with his eyes filled with love and forgiveness and lust. "We are traveling with a private jet. They can wait."

He crushed his lips with mine and I accepted that he had really, valid, point.


	9. AN The Sequel

**Hi!**

**I hope you are really loving this story, because I am love writing it. Your reviews are amazing! Keep them coming!**

**All I want to say is that next chapter is kind of a mid season finale. I am going on a vacation, I am going to Brazil to the Word Youth Day, to see the Pope, so if you are watching the news and you see a bunch of really loud Argentinians, I´d probably be there. The thing is, I wont be near a computer for the next ****2 weeks**** wich translates that it wont be an update until three weeks from now. **

**I am hoping you love this next chapter, all of this I did it to get to the last thing Rose says and I also hope that I had write it well enough for you to see what I was seeing.**

**Enjoy!**


	10. Effective Inmediatly

We were almost running toward the exit of guest housing. Almost because Dimitri was dragging the bags and Nicolay, and I were still struggling with the straps of Emma´s kangaroo. With the fight and the make up going on we had forgotten about packing our things, the last hour had been chaotic.

When Dimitri and I reach the door, Paul was waiting for us there, with a frightened look in his brown eyes.

"Thank God you are here," he said with a sigh. "The queen is los-"

He couldn´t finish because the door behind him burst open and an angry Lissa stepped in. She had this crazy look in her eyes, it was her stressful look.

"Do you know how many things I have to do?! I have a council meeting at noon and thousand things before and after that. I am the queen of a hidden vampire world, which is not an easy job."

I hated crazy stressed Lissa. I wasn´t sure if it was something Spirit induced or her own over achiever personality taking over, but when she was like this, she could scared the most badass guardians, in other words, me.

I stayed calm. "Lis, honey, breathe."

She did as I told.

"Again…"

She took another deep breath, looking calmer.

"Better?"

Lissa didn´t say anything else, she held her head high and walk out of the door she had just walked in through.

Dimitri, Paul and I followed her outside where Jill, Eddie and Christian were waiting with the kids. Then we all started walking toward where the plane was.

Lissa lead the way, in complete silence, but of course, Christian always knew how to fill a gap in the conversation. "I am so glad you guys decided to patch things up. Mopey-Dimitri is much worse to be around than horny-Dimitri."

I didn´t dignify him with an answer, but my husband did say something. "There is no way to satisfy you."

"Thankfully for both of us, that it is not in your job description."

I walked faster to catch up with Lissa and to left them behind me.

Lissa didn´t talk and I used that time to think about the week we were leaving behind. I was still filled with anxiety over leaving my daughter, but I knew now that it was a smart choice. Ivanna was going to be happy here, she was going to become the best guardian of her age. And it wasn´t like I was abandoning her, we were scheduled to come back in a couple of months, sometime between now and Thanksgiving.

"How are you?" Lissa asked, finally breaking the silence when we had the plane in our sightline.

"Surprisingly, I am not that stressed. I'm still going to miss the hell out of her, but it´s going to be good for both of us."

Lissa was going to say something, probably something like she was proud of me or that Ivanna was going to be okay, but someone started to call for Dimitri from behind us and we both turned to see what it was happening.

"Wait, Guardian Belikov! Please wait Guardian Belikov."

It was Thomas, one of the kids we taught the first day.

"Guardian Belikov," he said out of breath once he finally reached Dimitri. "I didn´t think I would catch you. Headmistress Kirova sent me. It is your daughter, sir."

I was next to them in a heartbeat. "What about her?"

Thomas turned to look at me. "They caught her fighting or something I don't know. Kir- Headmistress Kirova said that I should try to find you and send you to her office if you weren´t in the air already. She said she would explain everything."

I turn around to look at Lissa, asking permission, after all, I was already on guardian mode since we left guest housing.

"What are you waiting for?" She said exasperatedly. "This is my niece he is talking about."

And with that I started running towards the Headmistresses office, I never thought I would be so willing to go to that place, but there is always a first time for everything.

Dimitri was next to me, as eager as me to know what was happening with Ivanna.

Kirova was waiting for us inside her office and sitting in one of the chairs in front of her desk was my daughter.

Dimitri picked her up and sat in the chair she had been in and I sat in the other one.

"I am glad Thomas could find you. I know you are in a rush so I´ll be quick." Kirova said sitting on her chair. "A few minutes ago, some teachers found Ivanna fighting in the lobby of her dorm. Well, not actually fighting, but," she took some papers and read them out loud. "...sitting on the back of one of her classmates, a boy, and swinging a girl from her hair, while she was saying `You are the liars, not me´. We know that it is a very stressful time when the kids come here for the first time, and the reason I called for you is that maybe you could talk to Ivanna and reason with her so she can find a more suitable stress relief."

She was waiting for an answer, but I couldn't find my words... or my thoughts or anything. My brain had shut down from the shock.

_Ivanna? My Ivanna? The picture of calm and control? Fighting?_

"We will," Dimitri said and his voice brought me back.

"Yes, of course."

We walked out of the office after shaking Kirova´s hand.

_My Ivanna? Really?_ I wanted to say, but I was still stunned.

Once outside the office, Dimitri put Ivanna down and we crouched to hear her explanation.

"I am so sorry." She said with an apologetic voice. "It would never happen again, I promise. I didn´t want to talk to them, but they kept following me and... I am sorry. Please forgive me."

She was in the verge of crying and I dind´t know what to say to her. They must had provoked her in some way for her to act the way she did. I was sure of that. So what should we do? Congratulate her? Scold her?

Dimitri seemed as lost as I fell.

"Aunty Rose?" A tiny voice called from behind me and I turned to see Freddie watching me with his green eyes, behind him were Christian and Lissa.

"Yes?"

"I saw what happened and it wasn't her fault. Those kids were saying that she was a liar because uncle Dimka couldn´t be her father. That their parents had always told them that damphirs can´t have children. She was walking away but that boy grabbed her arm, that´s why she hit him. Don't get mad at her."

With Freddie´s words I did know what to do, congratulate her. She had stood up for herself. But I didn´t think that was good parenting.

"Ivanna," Dimitri began. "We talked about this, remember?" She nodded. "You can´t punch your classmates outside of class" I didn´t remember that last part, so I knew Dimitri was on board with the whole congratulating her deal.

"Darling, we know that you understand why you have to be more in control." She nodded to me. "And we know you are not going to do something like this again, right?" She shook her head. "Good girl."

"If someone bothers you, you go and tell the teachers, okay?"

"Yes daddy."

"Don´t you worry, uncle." Freddie said from behind me. "I will look after her. This will never happen on my watch again."

Dimitri helped me to stand, because I still had Emma strapped to my chest. And, amazingly, she was sleeping deeply.

We went outside and we said goodbye to the kids, again, we still had a plane to catch.

I lingered behind a little longer, watching Ivanna and Frederich walking away from us. She was going to be all right. Now I knew for sure.

Lissa stayed back with me. "And how do you feel about this?" I felt as if she was some paparazzi asking me questions.

"Proud?" I hesitated a little, I still felt like it was wrong feeling that way.

"I figured. And you were scared she wasn´t like you?"

"I know that she isn´t like me." I said after a moment of thought. "I would have punched first. She knew it was the wrong way and tried to walk away. She is much better than me."

"But that's what the kids are for, right?" She asked jokingly. "To do the things better than their parents, to do what the parent left pending and to pay their debts"

"And I was thinking_ I_ was doing a poor parenting job. And I don't think the children had to be responsible for their parents' sins."

"Convenient."

"What is that supposed to mean exactly?"

"That if that were the case you´d be paying Abe´s debts for the rest of your life and the life of your children."

I started laughing because that was one of those things that it was equally funny and equally sad. And Lissa laugh with me. For a long while we couldn´t stop.

"Speaking of Abe, you know what really scares me?" I told her when we could catch our breaths again.

Lissa was still smiling, but her smile faltered a little at my serious tone. "What?"

"I am afraid that when he will... retire, Nicolay will take control of his business."

Lissa regarded me for a while, probably to asses if I was being serious. "I think you shouldn't worry about that now, not until your father starts showing signs of being close to retirement. But he probably is going to outlive all of us, so you have no need to worry."

I looked ahead to where Dimitri was walking with Nicolay, the plane was once again in front of us, and they were very close to the stairs. Her words had brought to my mind something that Dimitri had said a few days back.

"Do you think I worry too much?"

"Not more than me. I am pretty sure my kids are going to start a gang at the school, they are going to terrorize everyone and set thing on fire." I had to admit she had a point there. "I try not to think about that until the moment comes, but I am afraid the twins are going to destroy the Dragomir name before they have the chance to start school."

"That´s the risk you took when you decided to marry Sparky."

Again whatever she was going to say was cut off by another voice shouting behind us, this time it was me they were calling and it was Alberta.

"Rose, thank God you are still here." She seemed disconcerted, which was odd, because she always was so composed. "This just came in from court. I thought you would want to see it ASAP."

She handed me a piece of fax paper. It was a memo, direct from Hans' office.

It said it had been a break in in Tarasov, it didn´t stated how exactly it had happened, but it was a list of the inmates that had escaped. There were at least a hundred names written, but my eyes fell on the one name that hunted all of my family.

Natasha Ozera.

"What´s wrong?" Lissa asked. Something had change in my expression that made her ask with fear.

I looked up from the paper and handed to her, suddenly I was extremely aware of all my surroundings, even the ten guardians that always surrounded Lissa, and they with the years had become invisible to me, were very visible again.

I took a step forward, trying to look stoic and authoritative, even with a baby strapped to my chest.

"Everyone stop!" I yelled for everyone to listen to me, especially Dimitri, he was already on top of the plane stairs and farthest away. He turned to look at me. "Nobody is boarding that plane. You three," I pointed to three guardians on my right, "take our bags back to guest housing, now!" I turned toward Alberta. "Guardian Petrov, close the gates and every exit, as soon as humanely possible. Nobody is leaving St. Vladimirs and nobody; I mean _nobody_ is getting in. We are in a lockdown people, effective immediately."


	11. Stay

_**Hi! **_

_**Sorry for the delay, I had the trip and exams and a wedding and more exams and my beta went AWOL... but I didn´t want to keep you waiting any longer so here is a new chapter (sorry for my ineptitud at writting, no one corrected this thing yet). **_

_**I really hope you like this short but meaningfull chapter, here we go...**_

* * *

"I want every ward checked twice." I was saying to Alberta, with my comanding voice. We were all back in the room we had been using the past week as a living room. My parents were there too, they hadn´t leave campus before lookdown. "Thrice if it´s necesary, I don't want any of them to have the posibility to access the academy if they decide to became Strigoi. Double the guards in the campus at all hours, we should recibe more men power from curt, but in the midtime you should use your best novices to fill the shifts. And I want searchlights pointing to the woods... and everywhere. I don't want a single dark corner in this place, if the kids are having illicit activities they should move them inside. There is a lot of angry people in that list, angry with the goverment and angry with everyone, if they are coming I want to see them. You know how to handle the student body and their parents, but if anybody ask we had left this place hours ago."

Alberta didn´t say anything, she just nodded and then left.

I turned to Dimitri, he was in the phone with Hans, we were always a team in this kind of situations, not that we run into things like this a lot, but having him by my side and not like one more guardian I needed to command was soothing.

I sit in the table in front of Lissa and Christian, they had been having a quite conversation.

My father was in the phone, speaking in turkish with someone, and my mother was guarding the door.

Paul, Jill and Eddie had taken the kids outside.

Dimitri finished talking and approached the door.

"What did Hans said?" Christian was the first one to ask.

"They already caught most of the prisoners, most of them were old and week. Those dind´t make it very far. But..."

"...they are still looking for the young ones." Lissa finished for him. "Like Tasha."

Dimitri nodded.

What had happened with Tasha still haunted us all, even after all this years. We all grieved for something different, but we all grieved.

"It was her. I am sure." Christian said.

"We don't know. She wasn´t alone in there. Like I said, there was a lot of angry people in Tarasov. I could be anybody."

"It wasn´t magic," said Dimitri.

Silence fell between us.

"What are we going to do know?" Lissa asked me after a moment.

"Stay here. Is safe enough, for now, curt is the most dangerous place to be right now. But we need to send the plane back, and as soon as possible, so that everyone believes that you are in curt and that you were on the air when this news break out. The other princes and princesses should go to safe houses as well. But you need to stay inside, no one can know you are still in St. Vladimirs."

"What about you?" My father ask walking toward us, apparently he had already finish his phonecall.

"What about me?"

"There is not a single soul in this world that believe that you left Lissa go to curt alone and that you stay behind, not with what is going on."

Abe had a point that I hadn´t though about. If I stayed in St. Vlads people will deduce, sooner or later, that Lissa was there as well. I coulnd´t take that chance, we had an advantage here that we couldn´t jeopardize it. Everybody needed to believe that Lissa was at curt, for as long as it was possible, it was my job to make that happend.

"I will go with the plane," I decided. Lissa looked at me like I had stabbed her. "Dimitri can handle the situation here and I will help Hans with anything he needs. I will go make the necessary arrangements"

I rose to my feet and turned to leave while my eyes filled with tears. I was leaving my family behind, in the worst crisis this hidden world had known since I had memory, all for the greater good.

Someone follow me to the hallway, I thought it was my husband, but when I turned I became face to face with an angry Lissa.

"What do you think you are doing?" she demanded from me.

"Going to get my luggage," I answered, but I knew that that wans´t was she was asking.

"You are leaving. I want to know why."

"To protect you, like I always do."

"There has to be another way."

"There isn´t, Lissa. This is the only way. They can´t know you are here, is a hazard. So I must leave to protect you. To protect all of you." She needed to understand, there wasn't a choice.

"You said curt was the most dangerous place to be right now, so you decided to go there? What about Dimitri? What about the kids?"

"Aren´t you listening to what I am saying? If I go to curt, no one is going to think about this place. Dimitri understands, the kids will to. All of you are going to be safer if I leave."  
"But you will not." Her voice broke in the last word.

"Liss, you know how this works. You come-"

"Don´t you dare to say I come first," her voice was like ice. "You´ve been saying that to yourself since we were kids."

"That is how our world works."

"Not any more, not for us. You are my sister, and that is more important than to be my guardian. And I can´t let you go. I can´t let you walk straight to danger anymore, because we are not alone anymore. There was a time, when there was only you and me, that even if it was hard for me to see you put yourself in the line of danger, I endure it, because I knew that I couldn´t hold you back, that I wans´t strong enough, and I told myself that it was how our world worked. But I know now that we can changed the way our world works. And there it is not just you and me anymore. Maybe I can still endure it, to see you leave me behind to protect me, but you are not just leaving me today. Dimitri may understand it, but it will be devastated, mourning until you come back, if you came back. Ivy and Nico, and even Freddie, what should I tell them if you never come back? That I come first, that I couldn´t do anything because that is how our world works. I am the queen, I should be able to do something for the people I love. You have no idea how much you meant to all of us, you are our rock, without you we crumble. Even Christian, that in public insist you are a pain in the ass, is going to be devastated if something happens to you. Let me do this for you, to order you to stay with me, with us. Just this one time, Rose, stay behind with me. We never face something like what it is happening now, but lets face it like a family. We are stronger together, you know that. Please, don't leave."

At some point while Lissa was talking tears started streaming down my cheeks. I dind´t know what to say, my duty screamed that I should leave them, but my heart said that it had to be another way.

Lissa was crying too, but she had a resolve in her eyes that I had seen counted times. It wasn´t her normal resolution. This was like a fire that burned stronger that any of Christian´s flames, it was like tsunami that it will not stop until taking anything that it is in front of it.

"Said that you will stay."

"I´ll stay," I finally said.


End file.
